Objective. To evaluate the prevalence and associated factors of burnout among nurses in a Nigerian general hospital. Methods. A total sampling method was utilized. Measurements. Burnout was evaluated using the Maslach Burnout Inventory; GHQ-12 was used to determine the presence of psychiatric morbidity. Results. A high level of burnout was identified in 39.1% of the respondents in the area of emotional exhaustion (EE), 29.2% in the area of depersonalization and 40.0% in the area of reduced personal accomplishment. Multivariate analysis showed that doctor/nurse conflict (OR = 3.1, 95% CI: 1.9？6.3), inadequate nursing personnel (OR = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.5–5.1), and too frequent night duties (OR = 3.1, 95% CI: 1.7–5.6) were predictors of burnout in the area of EE, doctor/nurse conflict (OR = 3.4, 95% CI: 2.2–7.6) and too frequent night duties (OR = 2.4, 95% CI 1.5–4.8) in the area of D, high nursing hierarchy (OR = 2.7, 95% CI: 1.5–4.8), poor wages (OR = 2.9, 95% CI: 1.6–5,6), and too frequent night duties (OR = 2.3, 95% CI: 2.3–4.5) in the area of RPA. Conclusions. Prevalence of burnout among these nurses was high. The government therefore needs to look into factors that will enhance nurses’ recruitment and retention for effective health care delivery system. 1. Introduction The burnout syndrome is a serious consequence of chronic exposure to work-related stressors. The construct of burnout syndrome appeared for the first time around the early 1970s, aimed at explaining the process of physical and mental deterioration in professionals working in areas such as teaching, health care, social work, or emergency legal services [1]. Subsequently, burnout syndrome was defined as a sustained response to chronic work stress comprising three dimensions: the experience of being emotionally exhausted (emotional exhaustion), negative attitudes and feelings toward the recipients of the service (depersonalization), and feelings of low accomplishment and professional failure otherwise known as lack of personal accomplishment [2]. Among nurses, the incidence of occupational stress-related burnout is high and factors such as age of the nurse, years of service, hierarchy of nurse [3], lack of adequate staff, difficult or demanding patients [4], younger age, male gender, and inadequate clinical supervision [5] have been reported to be associated with burnout. Others are excess workload, emotional stress, unevaluated work and underpayment [6], poor leadership, death and dying, conflicts with staff, accepting responsibility, lack of social support, conflict with other nurses,
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